Intro by Sam
This weekend has been BRUTAL. Yank got on the board by going against the Cowboys, but that’s pretty much the only underdog that has had a shot all weekend. We’re sticking with our guns tonight by both taking the Cardinals against the Rams, but there’s certainly more reason to be optimistic about this underdog than the rest of the teams we backed this weekend. Read our justifications below to understand why we feel more optimistic tonight, and if you’re smart, absolutely bet all of your money on the Rams.
Playoff Power Rankings
| Sam | Yank |
| 1. Chiefs 2. Packers 3. Titans 4. Buccaneers 5. 6. Cardinals 7. Bills 8. Rams 9. 10. Bengals 11. 12. 49ers 13. 14. | 1. Packers 2. Chiefs 3. Titans 4. Bills 5. Bucs 6. Cardinals 7. 49ers 8. Bengals 9. 10. Rams 11. 12. 13. 14. |
| Super Bowl Matchup: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Green Bay Packers | Super Bowl Matchup: Green Bay Packers vs. Tennessee Titans |
| Winner: Green Bay Packers | Winner: Tennessee Titans |
Wild Card Picks
The Arizona Cardinals @ the Los Angeles Rams (Monday at 8:15 PM)
Yank: As my rankings make clear, I am out on the Rams. The rationale is pretty simple; Matt Stafford has eight, count ’em, EIGHT interceptions in the last 4 games. He’s also the pick-six king of the West. I don’t have data on this but he seems like he’s easily thrown the most pick-sixes in the league this year. It’s probably obvious but a lesson I’ve learned over these couple years doing this is it’s basically impossible for a team to cover when their QB throws a pick 6. Meanwhile, on the other sideline, I think the Cardinals are actually pretty good. I like them even more in a division matchup, coming off a loss the last time they played the Rams where they will be hungry to win the rubber match. The one small hedge is that I’m going with my strong gut feelings here, as we’ve pointed out over and over again that’s not typically a great strategy. I’m going to take the points, because 4.5 is just way too many, even if the Cardinals lose, this game should be tight.
Sam: Since I am betting the Cardinals, I would recommend everyone bet the Rams. Nothing good happens when I bet the Cardinals. On top of that, I have been on record many times with my hate towards this Rams team. When I hate-bet against a team, I usually lose and it almost, and I mean almost, made me bet the Rams. But here we are. After consulting with Yank, we decided the opportunity to bet against Matt Stafford as a favorite in the playoffs was too exciting of a proposition to pass up. Stafford is a turnover machine, so I’m hoping he goes on a spree here and gives it over to Murray and Co. consistently.
Yank’s Pick: $5.50 on the Cardinals+4.5 (-110)
Sam’s Pick: $2.00 on the Cardinals+4.0 (-110) and $3.00 on the Cardinals ML (+170)
| Yank | Sam | |
| Risk | $5.50 | $5.00 |
| Potential Earnings | $5.00 | $6.92 |
One Last Line 